Somali army suffers heavy losses in Al-Shabaab ambush
Hundreds of soldiers feared dead or wounded after militants attacked advancing forces near Burhakabo.
Somali army forces suffered significant casualties on Monday during an Al-Shabaab assault in the country's southwest. An estimated 2,000 troops advancing on Burhakabo were attacked in Jame’o village by militants using suicide car bombs. Al-Shabaab claimed to have killed 413 soldiers and wounded over 400, though these figures could not be independently verified.
The military's worst reverse in years saw troops fleeing within hours, with some remaining stranded in rural areas without a rescue operation, according to journalist Abdirizak Atosh. Military court chief Hassan Ali Nur Shute and ground forces commander Sahal Abdullahi Omar have opened an inquiry at Baledogle air base into the debacle. Commanders who abandoned the battlefield or military vehicles will face disciplinary action.
This rout is considered the army’s most severe defeat by insurgents since the 2023 Oswayne attack. Al-Shabaab also claimed that a Turkish air strike killed 15 captured special forces troops receiving medical treatment. Turkey reportedly destroyed some of its donated Kirpi armoured vehicles to prevent their propaganda use by militants, who claimed to have captured numerous army vehicles.
Why it mattersHundreds of Somali soldiers are dead or wounded following a major Al-Shabaab attack, impacting the nation's security forces.